Moveable stowage assembly

ABSTRACT

A moveable stowage for a ladder or other equipment on top of a vehicle comprises a stowage frame  10,  an outer frame  11  secured pivotally  12  at its forward end, means (not shown) for releasably securing the stowage frame in the stowed position and stop means  13,14,15  and  16  to hold the stowage frame in an access position. The stowage frame  10  being adapted to slide on at least one pivot assembly  17, 18  from a substantially horizontal stowed position to an access position, and the forward end of the stowage frame  10  also being pivotally connected  19, 20  to the outer frame  11  so as to be able to slide along the outer frame thus enabling the stowage frame  10  to reach an access position approaching the vertical. Spring means (not shown) may be attached to the outer frame  11  to assist in counter balancing the stowage frame  10.

[0001] This invention relates to the stowage of ladders and otherequipment on the top of vehicles and is concerned in particular with ameans by which ladders or other items can be easily loaded onto andunloaded from the top of a vehicle by an operator standing at groundlevel.

[0002] Vehicles such as those used by the Fire Service and the Utilitycompanies carry ladders and other equipment on their top. Due to theheight of these stowages, and taking into account health and safetyrequirements, it is now necessary for these items to be accessed fromground level. Some existing systems designed to meet this requirementutilise the centre of gravity and are thereby limited in the amount ofaccess available especially on shorter stowages. Other examples have ahigh overall working height and are of high cost.

[0003] An object of this invention is to provide greater and ease ofaccess with a lower working height and at a lower cost.

[0004] According to this invention there is provided a moveable stowageon top of a vehicle comprising a stowage frame, an outer frame securedpivotally at its forward end, means for releasably securing the stowageframe in the stowed position and stop means to hold the stowage frame inan access position, the stowage frame being adapted to slide on at leastone pivot assembly from a substantially horizontal stowed position to anaccess position, and the forward end of the stowage frame also beingpivotally connected to the outer frame so as to be able to slide alongthe outer frame thus enabling the stowage frame to reach an accessposition approaching the vertical.

[0005] Specific embodiments of this invention will now be described byway of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

[0006]FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the stowage frame in thestowed position, the stowage being viewed from above at a locationdisplaced to the right and to the rear of the stowage;

[0007]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the stowage framein the access position.

[0008] A vehicle such as a fire engine has on its top a moveable stowagefor a ladder. A moveable stowage comprising a stowage frame 10, an outerframe 11 secured pivotally 12 at its forward end, means (not shown) forreleasably securing the stowage frame in the stowed position and stopmeans 13, 14, 15 and 16 to hold the stowage frame 10 in an accessposition. The stowage frame 10 being adapted to slide on each pivotassembly 17, 18 from a stowed position (see FIG. 1) to an accessposition as shown in FIG. 2, and the forward end of the stowage frame 10also being pivotally connected 19, 20 to the outer frame 11 so as to beable to slide along the outer frame 11. The stowage frame 10 comprisinga substantially flat rectangular structure wherein the longitudinal sidemembers 21, 22 incorporate guide means 23, 24 by which the pivotassembly 17, 18 are connected to the stowage frame 10 so as to allow themovement of the pivot assembly 17, 18 along the guide means 23, 24whilst also allowing the stowage frame 10 angular movement relative tothe pivot assembly 17, 18 about an axis substantially normal to thelongitudinal side members 21, 22 of stowage frame 10 in the horizontalplane, and within the guide means 23, 24 stop means 13, 14 to restrictthe movement of each pivot assembly 17,18 along the guide means 23, 24.The outer frame 11 comprising longitudinal members 25, 26 runningparallel to and for substantially the length of the stowage frame 10,wherein the outer frame longitudinal members 25, 26 incorporate guidemeans 27, 28 running the length of the outer frame longitudinal members25, 26 such that the forward end of the stowage frame 10 is pivotallyconnected 19, 20 to the outer frame longitudinal member guide means 27,28 so as to allow the movement of the stowage frame 10 along the outerframe longitudinal member guide means 27, 28 whilst also allowing thestowage frame 10 angular movement relative to the outer frame 11 aboutan axis substantially normal to the storage frame 10 in the horizontalplane, and at the rear end of the outer frame longitudinal member guidemeans 27, 28 stop means 15,16 to restrict the movement within the guidemeans 27, 28 of the pivotal connection 19, 20 at the forward end of thestorage frame 10, the outer frame 11 being pivotally secured 12 at theforward end so as to allow angular movement about an axis in thehorizontal plane substantially normal to the storage frame 10. Theconfiguration being such that when in the stowed condition the storageframe 10 is substantially horizontal with the rear end of the storageframe 10 supported by each pivot assembly 17, 18 and the front end ofthe storage frame 10 being supported by its attachment 19, 20 to theouter frame 11. Upon release of the means for releasably securing thestowage frame in the stowed position (not shown) and the subsequentapplication of a rearward force to the stowage frame 10, the guide means23, 24 on the stowage frame 10 slide rearwards across each pivotassembly 17, 18 and at the same time the connection 19, 20 of thestowage frame 10 slide along the guide means 27, 28 in the outer frame11. When the centre of gravity of the stowage frame 10 passes over eachpivot assembly 17, 18 the stowage frame 10 pivots about each pivotassembly 17, 18 causing the rear of the outer frame 11 to rise and theouter frame 11 to pivot about its frontal pivotal securement 12 therebyallowing the stowage frame 10 to pivot about each pivot assembly 17, 18until an access position approaching the vertical is reached as shown inFIG. 2. The transition from the access position as shown in FIG. 2 tothe stowed position shown in FIG. 1 is the reverse of the above.

[0009] In another embodiment substantially as previously described,spring means (not shown) are attached to the rear end of the outer frame11 adjacent to the stop means 15, 16. The spring means work to aid theforce of gravity thereby delaying and slowing the change of plane of thestowage frame 10 from the substantially horizontal stowed plane to theapproaching vertical access position. This allows a larger portion ofthe stowage frame 10 to be below the pivot assembly 17, 18 thusaffording better access when the stowage frame 10 is in the approachingvertical access position. During the transition of the stowage frame 10from the access position to the stowed position the springs also assistin raising the stowage frame 10 to the horizontal.

1. A moveable stowage on top of a vehicle comprising a stowage frame, anouter frame secured pivotally at its forward end, means for releasablysecuring the stowage frame in the stowed position and stop means to holdthe stowage frame in an access position, the stowage frame being adaptedto slide on at least one pivot assembly from a substantially horizontalstowed position to an access position, and the forward end of thestowage frame also being pivotally connected to the outer frame so as tobe able to slide along the outer frame to reach an access positionapproaching the vertical.
 2. A moveable stowage assembly as claimed inclaim 1, wherein guide means are provided on the stowage frameco-operable with the or each pivot assembly to control the slidingmovement of the stowage frame on the or each pivot assembly.
 3. Amoveable stowage assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein guidemeans are provided on the outer frame co-operable with the stowage frameto control the sliding movement of the stowage frame on the outer frame.4. A moveable stowage assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3,wherein stop means are provided on the stowage frame that co-operatewith the or each pivot assembly for arresting the sliding movement ofthe stowage frame.
 5. A moveable stowage assembly as claimed in any ofclaims 1 to 4, wherein stop means are provided on the outer frame thatco-operate with the pivotal connection of the stowage frame forarresting the sliding movement of the stowage frame.
 6. A moveablestowage assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein springmeans are connected to the outer frame to assist in counter balancingthe stowage frame
 7. A moveable stowage substantially as describedherein with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.